Symptoms of Bipolar Depression

Part 5: Changes in Thought Patterns

Although these symptoms are grouped as Changes in Thought Patterns, each of them can have a profound effect on behavior as well. In fact, these symptoms - difficulty concentrating, indecision, memory problems and disorganization - may be the among the ones first noticed by co-workers and supervisors because of the way they affect on-the-job performance.

• Inability to Concentrate
  This can take two forms. It may be that no matter how hard you try, you simply cannot focus - on the task at hand, on a book you're trying to read, on the lecture you're attending, on the recipe you're following. On the other hand, it may be that your attention wanders without your being aware of it until you're called on the carpet about it or you suddenly notice you've been staring at the same page of your book for 20 minutes. The former is painful and frustrating; the latter can get a person into a lot of trouble. In either case, the inability to concentrate is an important condition to be noted.

• Indecision
  What to wear to work today? Which of three projects has priority? What's the best day to choose for a doctor's appointment? What should you make for dinner? In a state of depression, making even simple decisions can become a major undertaking, and more difficult decisions can become impossible. When indecision is accompanied by anxiety, being confronted by the necessity of making a choice can lead to hysteria. People tend to think of a depressed person as being quiet and withdrawn, but if that person is backed into a corner, it can result in an emotional explosion or collapse.

• Problems with Memory
  Memory problems can seem to occur as a result of poor focus - that is, because of difficulty concentrating, you simply didn't hear something that was said to you and so don't recall it later. But memory may also be affected by depression, so that things a person was told, did hear or read, did know at one time, are forgotten later.

• Disorganization
  Disorganization is not exclusively a symptom of depression. Some writers believe that being disorganized is almost always tied to one or more mental illnesses, including ADD and OCD as well as depressive disorders. It is perfectly possible for a manic or hypomanic person to be unorganized, but in that state such a person isn't likely to be bothered by it and may, for example, know just where a particular item is in spite of having his belongings in a state of chaos. I myself suffer from chronic disorganization, but when I am depressed it overwhelms me and makes me feel even worse, while when I am not depressed, I am at least able to work on the problems.

As with all the depression symptoms we've covered, recognizing these symptoms is a key element in knowing when to get help. For example, if you are always indecisive, even when manic or hypomanic, indecision likely won't be an identifying characteristic of depression for you - unless you react to it differently depending on your mood. If you can laugh it off when hypomanic, but are filled with anxiety about it when depressed, you have that as a personal marker for your own depressive episodes.

Related Reading:

• Red Flags II - Top 6 Warning Signs of Bipolar Depression
• Symptoms of Bipolar Depression: Part 1 - Changes in Activity Levels
• Symptoms of Bipolar Depression: Part 2 - Physical Changes
• Symptoms of Bipolar Depression: Part 3 - Emotional Pain
• Symptoms of Bipolar Depression: Part 4 - Difficult Moods
• Symptoms of Bipolar Depression: Part 6 - Preoccupation with Death